Warning: This post contains slight spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem!
Summary
- Shredder was initially supposed to be the main villain in the TMNT film Mutant Mayhem, but his presence didn't work due to story problems and his connection to the teenage protagonists.
- Superfly, a new character, fills the role of the main villain in Mutant Mayhem, with an interesting backstory that aligns with the film's themes of societal rejection and vengeance.
- While Shredder didn't work for this film, his character is set up for a potential sequel where he could become the major antagonist.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem director Jeff Rowe explains why Shredder didn't fit as the main villain. The film premiered on August 2 and has been receiving rave reviews from critics for its unique animation style and story. It reboots the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series and follows the titular team as high schoolers seeking to earn acceptance through heroism. However, Shedder isn't the film's main villain, despite the fact that he's practically synonymous with the franchise and is the team's most iconic villain, as well as a beloved comic book villain in general.
In an interview with UPROXX, Rowe broke down why Shredder isn't the main antagonist of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. According to Rowe, Shredder actually was supposed to be in the film. However, his presence just didn't work. Check out Rowe's statement below:
In fact, he [Shredder] was in the movie for a long time, for a year and a half. And then it just did not work. And we were just banging our head against the wall and we had two big story problems. One, the Turtles were in high school on page 30, so they got exactly what they wanted way too early. And it also meant that the movie was reset 30 minutes in, which was just broken. And then Shredder was the villain and it was too big of a character too soon. And you didn’t understand how a crime boss, which is how we were playing him, was connected to these teenagers. And it just got too far away from the most simple essential story, which is teens wanting to fit in – the metaphor being that they are actual mutants and actually shunned by society. It’s not just a feeling for them. And having a villain that was also a mutant and had similar experiences just made the themes and the story all kind of come together.
Who Is The Main Villain Of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem?
With Shredder out of the picture for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the movie needed another villain. The solution came with Superfly (Ice Cube), who is a new addition to the franchise. Initially, it was believed that Superfly was a mutated version of another classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villain, Baxter Stockman. This is because Baxter has mutated into a fly in the franchise's past. However, Baxter also appears in the film, voiced by Giancarlo Esposito, making Superfly a new and separate character.
Superfly was originally a regular housefly, but was one of several animals mutated by mad scientist Stockman. Baxter created an entire mutant family, which Superfly became the leader of. However, as Rowe explained, his origins set the stage for his villainy. Like the turtles, Superfly has suffered from being cast out of society because of his mutation. His suffering, though, has led to him becoming bitter and wanting to get vengeance on humanity. This makes him quite an interesting villain because, as determined as they are to stop him, the turtles understand what he's been through.
Therefore, Superfly's villain arc nicely illustrates Mutant Mayhem's main themes and captures the damage society's rejection does to those who are different. Meanwhile, in the franchise, Shredder is a master of ninjutsu and a vengeful crime boss who has a long-standing beef with Splinter's owner and the turtles. While he's a fearsome, formidable, and particularly lethal villain, he can't really relate to the turtles the way a mutant could. Even though he didn't work as the main villain of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the film does lay the foundation for Shredder to be the sequel's major villain.
Source: UPROXX